Device for operating on shoes



Feb. 6, 1940. J. BAZZONI DEVICE FOR OPERATING ON SHOES Filed March 7,1938 N 9 9 Q m m 3 3w Patented Feb. 6, 194-0 DE'VIOE For: OPERATING 0NSHOES Lewis LBazzoni, Swampscott, Mass, assignorto United Shoe MachineryCorporation, Borough ,of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey4 Application March 7,1938, Serial No. 194,313

6 Claims. (o1. 51-170) This invention relates-to devices for-operatingon shoes and is hereinillustrated' and described as embodied inanapparatus for smoothing down the under surface of a shoe at thejunction of the sole with the breast lip of an attached Louis heel tocause the surface of the lip to merge smoothly into'the surface of thesole. In the manufacturing of shoes with Louis heels, the'heel isattached after the attaching of the sole and the heel breast is thenusually covered with a flap of thin leather which inmost cases is splitfrom and is continuous at it's forward end with the material of thesole. In high I grade work the sole is frequently notched to receive theforwardly extending lip of the heel and to bring the surface of the lipapproxi- Imately to the level of the sole at the junction of the lip"with the sole. However, in practice this result is never obtained withsufficient accuracy, the forward edge of thelip being either "sunkslightly below or projecting slightly above the level of the sole. Inthe manufacture of medium and lower grade shoes such notching of thesole is usually omitted in view of the fact that the heel 'breast liptapers forwardly to a relatively thin edge. In any case it is desirableto smooth down the junction of the sole with-the lip by the removal ofmaterial from either'the sole or the lip in order to'avoid any unsightlybreak in the con- 'tlinuityof the under surface of the shoe in thatvicinity after the flap has been laid. This heretofore has beenaccomplished by a hand rasping or scouring operation whichistime-consuming and fatiguing to the operator'an'd which, furthermore,if carelessly; done, may'result in gouging out'leather from the shankportion of the sole, thus leaving a groove whichmay' be visible in thefinished shoe. 1

It is an object of thepresent invention to provide a'device forperforming the above-mentioned operation accurately, quickly and withoutdamaging the shoe or requiring the exercise of much skill or theexpenditure of-mucheffort on the part of the operator. In accordancewith a feature of the invention, there is provided an abrading tool foroperation upon the under surface of a shoe in the vicinity of thejunction of the sole with the breast lip of an attached-Louis heel, anda pair of gages each having a relatively narrow blunt edge for engagingthe heel lip and the sole to limit the scouring action of the tool uponthe removal of sufficient material from the lip or'from the soleto-renderthe adjacent surfaces of the lip and of the sole continuous. In

cable. I

yoke 12 is a shaft 22. through the sleeve I0 within the hand grip M theillustrated device the tool consists of an abrading belt running over aform block having a shape which is nearly complemental (having aslightly greater curvature for purposes of clearance) to the desiredlongitudinal curvature of the shoe at the locality under consideration.The illustrated device is portable for convenience of operation uponshoes supported on. stationary last spindles, the tool being driven by aflexible These and other features of the invention,-as well as certaindetails of construction and combination of parts, will be described-asembodied in an illustrated device and pointed out in the appendedclaims. I .5

In the drawing, I a

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the improved device;I

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a portion of the improved device; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1 showingthe improved device in operation upon a shoe.

The several parts of the improvedndevice arev all mounted upon asupporting structure com-2 prising a sleeve Ill and a yoke 12 extendingfrom the sleeve 10 and integral therewith. Adjust'ably secured to thesleeve 10 is a hand grip M which the operator grasps in manipulating thedevice. The hand grip I4 is elliptical'in cross section and is composedof two sections clamped together about the sleeve ID by screws -l3'whiohmay be loosened to change the position of angular adjustment of the'handgrip about the sleeve 10 to suit the natural grasp of the individualoper-x.

ator. At the end of the yoke l2 opposite the hand grip I4 is a ring I6rigidly secured to the yoke l2; The ring [6 is grasped by the other handof the operator when using the device and I when the device is not inuse it serves as a convenient means of hanging the device upon a hook.Journaled in bearings 18 and 20" in the This shaft extends partly and iscoupled to a terminal 23of aflexible driving shaft 24 which enters theopposite end of the sleeve Ill. The flexible shaft 24 is provided with aflexible sheathing 26 having a rigid end portion 28 which is threadedinto a suitable recess in the end of the sleeve 10. The far end of theshaft 24 (not shown) may be driven from any convenient source of power.j

Secured upon the shaft 22betweenthe bearings l8 and 20 is a pulley 30which drives an abrading belt 32 of sheet materialwhichin the .155

- purposes of clearance.

the tongue 36.

vulcanized a sleeve 65 of rubber.

illustrated device, consists of emery cloth. The belt 32 passes over aform block 34 which supports it against the pressure of the work andabout which the belt travels in two runs leading to and from the pulleyrespectively, the two runs of the belt being close to each other toenable them to enter the space. between a high heel and the bottom of'theforepart 'ofa highly arched shoe. The block 3'4 'has a smoothsurface 35 offering a minimum of friction to the belt. Thisbelt-supporting surface is in the form of a sector of a non-circularcylinder, being nearly complemental in cross section to the desiredlongitudinal curvature of a shoe in the vicinity of the junction of thesole with the breast lip of'an attached wood heel but having a slightlygreater curvature for The block 34 is provided with a tongue 36 whichextends into a slot"38 formed in the yoke l2. The block 34 is thus sup-.ported against movement transverse to the axis ofthe pulley 39 by theslot 38 and it is held against endwise movement relatively to the pulley30 by a pin 31 secured in the yoke 12 and extending across the slot 38and engaging a recess 39 in The inner edge of the tongue 36 is beveledor inclined relatively to the axis of the pulley adjacent to each of theends of the tongue at localities indicated by the reference character 40in Fig. 1 Threaded into the two ends of the yoke l2 and engageable withthe respective beveled portions of the tongue are two screws 42 and Mwhich may be turned to urge the form block 34 outwardly of the slot 38and away from the pulley 30 thereby serving not only to support the formblock in the yoke [2 against the pressure of the work but also as ameansto adjust and equalize the tension of the abrading belt 32.

Secured to the yoke 12 .by a pair of screws 46 is a thin plate 48 ofsheet metal having a blunt gaging edge 50 extending transversely of thebelt 32 and engageable with the wood of the lip of the heel. Alsosecured to the-yoke l2 by a pair of screws 52 is another thin plate 54of sheet metal having a blunt gaging edge 56 extending transversely ofthe belt 32 and engageable with the leather of the shank of the shoe.The plate 48 has formed in it a pair of parallel slots 58 foraccommodating the screws 46 respectively, the slots 58 being inclined tothe edge 50 to provide for fine adjustment of the plate Q8; The plate 54has likewise formed in it a pair of parallel slots 60 for accommodatingthe screws 52 respectively;.the slots 60 being inclined to the gagingedge 56 to provide for fine adjustment of the plate 54. The plate 54extends upwardly from its gaging edge 56 to shield the sole andparticularly the heel breast flap from the abrading belt 32, the upperportion (indicated by the reference numeral 62) of the plate 54 beingcurved partially around the,

pulley 30.

The pulley 39 comprises a hub 53 upon which is The hub 63 has a pair ofend flanges 64 for guiding the. belt 32 in a longitudinal path. However,unless the form block 3t is accurately adjusted by the screws 42 and Mto bring its belt-supporting surface into parallel relation to the axisof the pulley 30 the belt 32 will tend to creep sidewise. To insureagainst this and also to improve the traction of the pulley upon thebelt, there are formed in the rubber sleeve 55 several circumferentialgrooves 66. The belt 32 is molded to provide ribs 53 extending from itsunder surface and disposed longitudinally with respect to the path ofmovement ofthe-belt. These ribs engage the grooves 66 respectively tohold the belt against lateral movement. enable the ribs to enter thegrooves 66 which are suflicie'ntly narrow to cause the sleeve topinchthe ribs. The upper edges of the grooves may be slightly beveled tofacilitate entering of the ribs.

The rubber of'the sleeve'65 yields to f This pinching action of therubber sleeve enables the pulley to drive'the belt against the drag ofthe abrasive surface'upon the work. The form block 34 has grooves 10 toaccommodate the ribs 63,

thereby helping to maintain the belt in its proper v path of travel. Thegrooves 66 and 10 are deeper than the height of the ribs and the grooves10 are-wideenough to provide running clearance" for the ribs. materialof whichthe belt 32 ismade should preferablybe molded to form the ribs68 before the application of emery or other grit to its work ingsurface. The crease on the working surface of the belt will thus becovered with glueand the working surface. I

The operationof the device is illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein is shown ashoe S supported upon :a last shown). The shoe S is provided withaleather The fabric or other sheet 26 abrasive and will not interruptthecontinuity of v sole L from which has been split a heel breast flap F. A"wood: heel H having a lip W has been attached to .the'shoe against therear portion of the sole L. Before the breast fiapF is'cemented upon thebreast surface of the heel H the forward edge of the lip -W is'to besmoothed off to render the adjacent surfaces of the lip and of the shankcontinuous with each other. To. accomplish this the operator grasps thehand-grip M of the improved device with one hand and the ring [6.withthe other and holds the device in the position shown in Fig. 3, movingthedevice forwardly and rearwardly to bring the abrading belt into-engagement withallv projecting material, and tilting.

the device to the right and the left as maybe required by the transversecurvature of the under surface of the shoe atv the locality ofoperation.

When the hand. grip I4 is adjusted about the axis of the sleeve 10 aspreviously described the.

operator will naturally tend to hold the device in proper operatingposition. .The plates 48; and

54 are so adjusted as to prevent the gagingedges 50 and 56 fromsimultaneously engaging the shoe until the desired operation hasbeen'completed.:'

During the performance of the operation one or the other of the gagingedges mayengagethe shoe or neither. of'them may engage it. When,however, the two gaging edges simultaneously engagethe wood W of the lipand the leather L'of the shank portion of the sole-at the same time,

'fiu'ther approach of the form, block 34 toward the shoe will beprevented.

The operation will be the same inthe case of "a shoe having a solenotched to receive .the heel lip and in which the forwardedge of theheellip is sunk below the level of the sole. however, material will besecured from rather than from the heel lip.

In either case the gaging edges!!!) and 56 will limit the operation ofthe abrading belt to the removal from the, heel lip or from .the sole:of f

enough material to render the surface of the lip and the surface of thesole smoothly'continuous witheach other.

Even if the operator should carelessly hold the device in operatingposition longerthan necessary, there will be no danger 70f In that case,

the 'sole scouring agroove into the relativelysoft leather l L adjacenttothe hard wood W, usually maple, of the heel lip, l

which may be mounted upon a bench spindle (not It will beobserved thatthe gage plates 48 and 54 both function asbelt guards by covering (01'substantially covering, in the case of the plate 48) the adjacent runsof the abradin'g, belt 32.

'Having thus described my invention, what I junction of the sole withthe breast lip of an attached Louis heel, a sup-port for said tool, a

pair of relatively thin plates of sheet metal having gaging edgesengageable with the heel lip and the sole of the shoe respectively tolimit the operation of the abrading tool to the removal from the lip orfrom: the sole of enough material to render the surfaces of the lip andthe sole smoothly conattached Louis heel, said abradingbelt having onetinuous witheachother, and a pair of screws for clamping each of saidplates to said support, each of said plates having formed in it twosubstantially parallel slots to accommodate the clamping screws for thatplate, said slots being inclined to the gaging edge of the plate .tofacilitate adjustment of the gaging edge relatively to the abradingtool.

2. Adevice for operating onshoes comprising an abrading belt forremoving material from the under surface of a shoe in thevicinity of thejunction of the sole with the breast lip of an attached Louis heel, adriving pulley for said belt, a support forsaid pulley, means fordriving. said pulley, means for supporting said belt against the 7pressure of the work, a pair of relatively'thin plates between whichsaid abrading belt operates, said plates having gaging edges ,engageablewith the heel lip and the soleof the shoe respectively to limit theoperation. of the abrading tool to the removal from the lip or from thesole of enough material to render the surfaces of the lip and the solesmoothly continuous. with each other,

the plate which engages the sole extending to and partially around saiddriving pulley, to protect the unlaid heel breast flap from the adjacentrun of the abrading belt, two. substantially parallel slots in each ofsaid plates, said slots being inclined to-the gaging edge of the plateto facilitate adjustment of the gaging edge-relatively to the abradinganabrading belt for removing material from the under surface of a shoein the vicinity of the junction of the sole withthe breast lip of ansurface coated with abrasive and having a plurality. of longitudinalribs extending from its 'cppo site surface, a driving pulley for saidbelt having a belt-engaging portion of rubber in which is formed aplurality ofgrooves of sufiicient width to enable the rubber to yield toreceive said ribs and to pinch the ribs thereby increasing the tractionof the pulley on the belt and guiding the belt I in a longitudinal path,means for supporting said belt against the pressure of the work, andgaging means engageable with the under surface of, the shoe forcontrolling the positionof the said beltsupporting means'to limit theoperation of the belt to the removal from thelip'or from the sole ofenough material to render the surfaces with each other. W i

a. A device for operating on shoes comprising an abrading belt, meansfor supporting said abrading belt against the pressure of the work,

and a pulley for driving said abrading belt, said abrading belt beingcomposed of sheet material having one surface coated with abrasive andbeing molded to form longitudinal ribs extending from I its oppositesurface, and said pulley having a beltengaging portion of rubber inwhich is formed a groove of sufficient width to enable the rubber toyield to receivethe rib'of said belt and to pinch ,the rib therebyincreasing the traction of the of the lip and of the sole smoothlycontinuous pulley .on the belt and guidingthe belt in a longitudinalpath.

5. Adevice for operating on shoes comprising a yoke, a pulley journaledin said yoke, an abrading belt driven by said pulley, a form block forsupporting said abrading belt against the presand said yoke having aslot into which said tongue extends to hold the form block againstmovement and engaging said inclined surfaces respectively to urge saidform block outwardly of said slot and away from said pulley to. tensionthe abrading belt and to enable the tension at the opposite sides of theabrading belt to be equalized.

6. A device for smoothing the under surface of a shoe in the vicinity ofthe junction of the solewith the breast lip of a wood heel attached tothe shoe, comprising an abrading belt, a pulley for i sure of the work,said form block having a tongue supporting and driving said belt, a yokefor supporting said pulley, a support for holding saidbelt against thework, said support being constructed and arranged to supportsaid beltintwo runs leading to" and from said pulleyrespectively, the two-runs ofsaid belt being close to each other to enable them to enter the spacebetween a high heel and the bottom oftne forepart of a highly archedshoe, a slot in said yoke, a tongue on said support extending intosaid-slot, screws'for adjusting the distance between said support andsaid pulley, and a pair of relatively thin plates outside of and closeto the two runs of said belt, each of said plates having a blunt edgeextending transversely of the adjacent run of the belt for engaging theunder surface of the shoe to limit the depth of the abrading operationperformed by said belt, said support extending far enough to expose aportion of said belt slightly beyond said edges for unobstructedoperation upon the under

